1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a distribution-management type computer network system or the like that distributes and stores shared files among a plurality of computers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An example of this kind of computer network system is the distribution-management type of network file system disclosed in patent document 1.
In this system, each computer has a management-information table, which stores management information necessary for better understanding the information of the shared files that are distributed in the memory areas of each of the computers, and compares the contents of the management-information table with those of only the computers that are connected by a relationship of referencing the contents of those management-information tables or having the contents of its own management-information table referenced, and rewrites the contents of the management-information table, then obtains a shared file from a target computer based on the management information in the management table, and in doing so is effective in making it possible to easily combine files, and to prevent having to concentrate access on one single computer.
[Patent Document] Japanese Patent Application 2002-324004
However, when this kind of distribution-management type of computer network system is applied to a broad IP (Internet Protocol) network, there is a problem in that generally the network load becomes increasingly larger in the direction going further upstream (high-order level) the communication path of the IP network (in other words, the frequency that an upstream IP router or communication line of the network is used increases).